A ceremony to celebrate the imminent opening of the new Pāpāmoa East Interchange was held today, marking the completion of this major milestone for the local community and wider Pāpāmoa area.
A dawn blessing and completion ceremony was held this morning, following a three phased construction programme that started in July 2022. The bridge is scheduled to open to traffic later this week, prior to the Easter weekend - upon conclusion of some essential final works.
The $90m four-lane bridge and ramps, connecting Pāpāmoa to the Tauranga Eastern Link Toll Road / State Highway 2, was built by Tauranga City Council in partnership with the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA).
The interchange provides a much-anticipated alternative route in and out of Pāpāmoa, enabling a faster connection to Tauranga city centre, Mount Maunganui and the wider Bay of Plenty.
The additional roading capacity facilitates further residential and commercial development of the area and will ease congestion on local feeder roads in wider Pāpāmoa.
Pleasingly, the project has been delivered under budget and ahead of time. The total project budget was $110m (funded jointly by TCC and NZTA) with a final cost of $90m, meaning savings of $20m have been realised. Construction completion was initially scheduled for mid-2026, making the full interchange opening two to three months early, in addition to the early opening of the eastbound offramp in August last year.
Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale says the opening of the Pāpāmoa East Interchange represents a step change for Tauranga’s eastern corridor.
“This project strengthens the daily connections that matter most, linking people with jobs, schools, recreation and each other. Additionally, the new bridge connects Pāpāmoa East to destinations across the Bay of Plenty, making it faster and safer for people to travel through the area.”
“The interchange also supports the needs of our growing city, by enabling the development of new housing and businesses in the area which, which in turn supports economic growth and productivity.”
Pāpāmoa Ward Councillor Steve Morris is delighted to deliver this milestone for Pāpāmoa.
“This is a key gateway for Pāpāmoa and the wider region, which will help members of the local community, visitors and freight traffic get to where they need to go, safely and efficiently.”
“The interchange will benefit the wider Pāpāmoa community; by diverting traffic from Tara Road, Te Okuroa Drive and Pāpāmoa Beach Road, people will notice less congestion on the wider local road network.”
“The new bridge is the result of a huge team effort, and I’d like to thank everyone who helped make it happen, including the NZTA, HEB Construction, the local community and our council staff.”
Cr Morris extended gratitude to Waitaha, Tapukia, Ngā Pōtiki and Ngāti Whakaue ki Maketū iwi for their support throughout the project, and in particular to Mokoera Te Amo for his involvement in the blessing and ceremonial opening of the new bridge.
Mayor Drysdale was joined by Councillors, local MP’s, iwi representatives, NZTA and other stakeholders this morning to cut the ribbon on the bridge, which is planned to open for traffic shortly on Thursday afternoon.
Once the interchange is open, drivers are advised that traffic management will continue at the intersection of Te Okuroa Drive and The Sands Avenue, as construction of premises and residences in the area progresses. We ask everyone coming through the intersection to use extra care.
Find out more at letstalk.tauranga.govt.nz/pei
| Image caption | An ariel view of construction of the intersection in March 2026 |